NSUI leads parliament march; protests against paper leaks, education fund cuts, and vacancies

NEW DELHI: The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) called a parliament march to protest against the government's failure to address issues like paper leak, education fund cut, scholarships cut, government vacancies, Agnipath Scheme and Peace in Manipur. NSUI National President Varun Choudhary, along with hundreds of NSUI workers, were detained during the march.

Varun Choudhary criticized the government before his detention for ignoring students' issues, including the discontinuation of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship, regular and continuous paper leaks in public exams, no government vacancies are coming up, and the failure to implement reservation policies. He also accused the government of prioritizing industrialist Gautam Adani's interests over the welfare of youth.

"We will not be silenced. This government has abandoned its responsibility towards students, prioritizing corporate interests over education and employment. NSUI will continue to fight for the rights of students and the future of this country," Choudhary said, before being taken into custody.

As per the official press release, thousands of students from different states participated in the march, demanding justice for student and youth issues. “NSUI leaders have vowed to continue their protests until all these demands are met,” the press release read.

Also read AMU students hold protest march over Sambhal violence, urge president to intervene

NSUI's key demands

The key demands raised by NSUI during the Parliament march are listed below.

• Restoration of Education Funding: Reinstating scholarships and fellowships for students, including the Maulana Azad National Fellowship. Fellowships and Scholarships for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Minorities have witnessed a fund cut of 40-60%.

• Protection of Student Rights: Demand to drop false cases against protesting students across India.

• Implement Reservation Policy: Ensuring strict implementation of reservation policies. Data presented on Parliament shows 40-70% posts of OBC, SC, ST Teaching Faculty are vacant in Central Universities.

• Stop Paper Leak Scam: Stopping paper leaks and cracking down on exam scams.

• Fill 30 Lakh Vacant post: Fill all 30 lakh vacant government posts immediately.

• Scrapping Agnipath Scheme: Withdrawing the anti-youth Agnipath Scheme which runs Army on contract.

• Restoring Peace in Manipur: Immediate intervention to bring peace and normalcy to the region.